Better With Two: Midnight
by outcastfromgallifrey
Summary: A series of episodes from series 3 and 4 rewritten as if they had taken place during series 2." - Episode 5 of 6: Takes place after 'Fear Her' - The Doctor and Rose plan to take a leisurely trip to the diamond planet Midnight. But things go horribly wrong when they take a trip to see a Sapphire Waterfall, leaving the pair and bus crew stranded with something lurking in the dark...
1. Midnight

"Midnight! What a beautiful planet! An entire planet made out of dazzling crystals! Brilliant!" The Doctor smiled down at his companion. "Don't you think?"

"Oh it's magnificent!" Rose said as she looked out of the window. The sapphire-blue stones of Midnight shone brightly across the landscape. Light reflected off them making the rocks sparkle like tiny water droplets in the morning dew. Rose's eyes darted across the glass trying to take in every rock or pillar of the sparkling crystal.

"It's absolutely beautiful!" she shot a smile at the Doctor then turned back quickly to admire the planet. She pressed her forehead against the glass attempting to get a closer look.

"You be careful, that's Xtonic sunlight."

"Oh I'm safe," Rose rolled her eyes. "It says in the brochure, this glass is fifteen feet thick!"

The Doctor laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling away from the window.

"Come on," he said. "We're going to miss our ride!"

"Ride?" Rose asked furrowing her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't I tell you?" The Doctor grinned, "We're going to see a sapphire waterfall! A waterfall _made _of sapphires!"

"You serious?"

"Picture this. This enormous jewel the size of a glacier reaches the Cliffs of Oblivion and the shatters into sapphires at the edge! They fall a hundred thousand feet into a crystal ravine! Absolutely dazzling!"

"Bet you say that to all the girls," Rose joked.

"Well, do you want to go?"

"Of course!"

"Then come on!" The Doctor pulled Rose along as they walked, eager to show her something new. "It's a four hour trip, but it'll be so worth it!"

"Four hours?" Rose asked. "Wait do you mean like four hours there and four hours back? That's like a school trip!"

"So? We'll be back for dinner and then try that antigravity restaurant. With bibs."

"Oh alright," Rose smiled. "It's a date!"

The Doctor glanced at her.

"Well not a date. Oh, you know what I mean," Rose could feel her cheeks grow warm. "Oh, get off."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows and smiled cheekily at her.

"C'mon!" she shouldered him softly. "The train's boarding!"

"Right then!"

The two ran through the halls of the space station. Rose kept frequently glancing out at the side windows, craning her neck to see the scenery.

"Now this is going to be a safe trip, right?" Rose asked as they neared the station. "No mishaps or anything?"

"Nah, taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers cross the diamond planet called Midnight? What could possible go wrong?"

**-DW-**

The Doctor and Rose sat side by side on the space truck watching as the other passengers boarded. The car was divided into two columns of chairs, each row with two seats in them. A large aisle was in the centre of the vehicle and storage compartments hung above their heads where they were attached to the ceiling. It was very much like the interior of a fancy airplane. There was even an attendant moving about offering complimentary objects for a more comfortable ride.

"That's the headphones for channels 1-36," the stewardess said coming up to the Doctor and Rose. She began listing off the complimentary items and passed two sets of each to them.

"Modem link for 3D vidgames, complimentary earplugs, complimentary slippers, complimentary juice pack, and complimentary peanuts," she finally finished. "I must warn you, some products may contain nuts."

"That'll be the peanuts," the Doctor quipped, making Rose snort in laughter.

"Enjoy your trip."

"Oh we can't wait! Allons-y!"

"I'm sorry?"

"It's French," he said with a goofy smile. "For 'let's go'."

"Fascinating," the woman said dryly. She gave the Doctor another forced smile, and then continued down the aisle. Grinning, the Doctor turned to Rose and shrugged his shoulders. She patted his arm twice, a small gesture telling him to behave.

The Doctor looked around at the other passengers. There were six other crew members, not including Rose and him or the attendant, spread out among the car. Sitting a few rows in front was a woman with blonde hair and a cold expression on her face.

Boarding the vehicle was a middle-aged couple and teenage boy. The boy was dressed in all black, with black hair and painted black nails, and did not seem to be very thrilled about going on this trip. His parents in turn were frowning at him and appeared to be thinking of ways to liven him up.

Seated behind Rose and the Doctor was an older man, looking to be a teacher of some sort, and a woman who seemed to be his assistant.

"Oh, no thank you. Not for us," the man said when the stewardess offered them the headphones and slippers.

"Earplugs please," his assistant piped up. "Thank you."

"They call it a sapphire waterfall," the man had started to converse with the woman. "But it's no such thing. Sapphire's an aluminum oxide, but the glacier is just compound silica with iron pigmentation!"

The Doctor looked over his shoulder at them as the man labeled off various items they were supposed to have brought with his assistant. Looking up, the man noticed the Doctor and gave him a smile.

"Oh, Hobbes," the man introduced himself as he leaned forward. "Professor Winfold Hobbes."

"I'm the Doctor and this is Rose," the Doctor reached forward to shake the man's hand.

"Hello!" Rose smiled and waved.

"It's my fourteenth time!" Hobbes said.

"Oh," the Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Our first."

"And I'm Dee Dee," Hobbes assistant stood up to shake the Doctor and Rose's hands. "Dee Dee Blasco."

"Don't bother the couple," Hobbes said.

"Er—we're not, er," the Doctor stammered.

"We're not a couple," Rose finished for him.

"Oh, terribly sorry," Hobbes nodded and leaned back in his seat again. "Now where's my water bottle?"He murmured to Dee Dee.

As Rose inspected a pamphlet about the sapphire waterfall, the Doctor looked around at the remaining passengers. The woman across the aisle glanced at him when he looked her way, then went back to reading a small book in her hands. Sniffing, he turned to look at the family behind him.

"Don't be silly," the mother was saying to her son seated in the row across the aisle from them. "Come and sit with us! Look we get slippers!"

"Jethro, do what your mother says," the man beside her said.

"I'm sitting here," the boy retorted.

"Oh, he's ashamed of us," the father said. "But he doesn't mind us paying, does he?"

"Oh don't you two start," the mother said when Jethro shot his father a glare. "Should I save the juice pack, or have it now? Look, peach and clementine."

"People watching?" Rose nudged the Doctor.

"Just seeing who's ridding with us!" He grinned. "They seem like a lively bunch!"

"Ladies and gentlemen and variations thereof," the attendant came down the aisle quieting the two. "Welcome on board the Crusader 50. If you would fasten your seatbelts, we'll be leaving any moment."

The passengers began fumbling with their belts, strapping themselves in.

"Doors," the stewardess continued and the doors shut. "Shields down. I'm afraid the view is shielded until we reach the waterfall palace. Also a reminder: Midnight has no air, so please don't touch the exterior door seals.

"Fire exit to the rear. And should we need to use it, you first!" the woman let out a little snicker. "Now I will hand you over to driver Joe."

"Drive Joe at the wheel," a voice came on over the intercom. "There's been a diamond fall at the Winter Witch Canyon, so we'll be taking a slight detour, as you'll see on the map. The journey covers five hundred kliks to the Multifaceted Coast. Duration is estimated at four hours. Thank you for travelling with us, and as they used to say in the olden days, 'wagons roll.'"

The vehicle began to shake as the engines started. Turning to Rose, the Doctor gave her hand a squeeze, a wide grin on his face.

"For your entertainment, we have the Music Channel playing retrovids of Earth classics," the hostess said. From the ceiling, a video screen folded down in front of each row. A singing woman appeared on screen followed by music. Rose cast the Doctor a weird glance.

"Also, the latest artistic installation from Ludovico Klein."

Holographic lights appeared around them and Rose let out a squeak in surprise.

"Plus, for the youngsters, a rare treat. The Animation Archives," the attendant said as a screen rolled down featuring old black and white cartoons from Earth. "Four hours of fun time. Enjoy."

"More like four hours of brain killing time," Rose muttered. "Honestly, I thought people would have thought of better ways to entertain themselves this far in the future."

"We'll soon fix that," the Doctor whispered to her. Pulling out his sonic screwdriver, he slowly turned it on. After a few seconds, all the screens and music and holograms stopped and we're shut off and folded away.

"Oh, I bloody love that device," Rose said and the Doctor smiled. The hostess tried to turn on visual effects with her remote, frowning when they refused to respond.

"Well that's a mercy!" Hobbes said from behind the Doctor and Rose.

"Er, I do apologize, ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon," the attendant said slightly flustered. "We seem to have had a failure of the Entertainment System."

"Oh?" the Doctor winked at Rose.

"But what do we do?" Jethro's mother asked.

"We've got four hours of this?" her husband put in. "Four hours of just sittin' here?"

"Tell you what," the Doctor called out pushing himself higher in his seat to look at the other passengers. "We'll have to talk to each other instead."

Everyone started to look at one another with disbelief. The Doctor turned to Rose and smiled broadly. This was going to be fun.


	2. Getting to Know Your Surroundings

Ninety-eight kliks later, the whole cabin was laughing as they listened to the now introduced, Val and Biff tell about their vacation stories.

"…So Biff said, 'I'm going swimming!'" Val laughed.

"Oh I was all ready. Trunks and everything! Nose plug," Biff put in.

"He had this little nose plug. You should have seen him!"

"And I went marching up to the lifeguard. And he was a Shamboni. You know, those big foreheads?"

"Great big forehead!"

"And I said, 'Where's the pool?' and he said—"

"The _pool_ is abstract!" Val and Biff said in unison. Rose glanced over at Jethro. The poor boy seemed bored to tears. Hobbes and Dee Dee we're laughing hard and clapping their hands. The Doctor grinned next to Rose as they leaned on the seat backs in front of the couple.

"It wasn't a real pool!" Val laughed.

"It was a concept!" Bill said.

"And you we're wearing a nose plug?" the Doctor giggled and elbowed Rose.

"Oh, I was like this!" Biff brought his hand up and clamped two fingers over his nose. "Oh where's the pool?"

The whole car erupted in laughter.

**-DW-**

One-hundred and fifty kliks later, the Doctor was talking with Dee Dee at the coffee maker while Rose was trying to strike up a conversation with Jethro.

"I'm just a second year student," Dee Dee said. "But I wrote a paper on the lost Moon of Poosh."

Dee Dee handed the Doctor a coffee as she continued, "Professor Hobbes read it, liked it, took me on as researcher just for the holidays. Well, I say 'researcher', most of the time he's got me fetching and carrying. But it's all good experience!"

"Did they ever find it?" the Doctor said.

"Find what?"

"The lost Moon of Poosh."

"Oh no," Dee Dee laughed. "Not yet."

"Well," the Doctor said. "Maybe that'll be your great discovery one day. Here's to Poosh."

The Doctor raised his cup and tapped it to Dee Dee's.

"Poosh," she agreed.

**-DW-**

Two-hundred and nine kliks later, Rose was sitting next to the woman named Sky, and sharing lunch. The Doctor was in the back of the car chatting away with Professor Hobbes.

"No, no, I'm with this friend of mine," Rose said opening her boxed meal. "The Doctor, he's in the back right now talking to Hobbes. You?"

"No," Sky said. "It's just me."

"Oh," Rose nodded. "The Doctor traveled on his own for a while. He said he loved it, doing what you want and going anywhere. But most of the time I think he gets lonely all by himself. That's why he brought me along."

"Well I'm still getting used to it," Sky sighed. "I found myself single, rather recently, not by choice."

"What happened?"

"Oh, the usual," she said. "She 'needed her own space' as they say—a different galaxy in fact. I reckon that's enough space. Don't you?"

"Yeah," Rose looked down at her meal. "I had a friend who went to a different universe."

"Oh, what's this?" Sky said opening her meal and changing the subject. "Chicken or Beef?"

"I think it's both," Rose sniffed, stabbing a chunk and examining it.

**-DW-**

Two-hundred and fifty-one kliks later, the whole crew was listening to Professor Hobbes give an interesting lecture about the planet Midnight. The Doctor was sitting perched on a chair back while Rose stood forward to lean on the chair in front of her. The other passengers listened intently, fascinated by what the professor had to say. Even Jethro seemed mildly interested.

"So, this is Midnight. Do you see?" Hobbes said gesturing to a picture slide behind him. "Bombarded by the sun. Xtonic rays, raw galvanic radiation! Dee Dee, next slide!"

"Sorry," Dee Dee whispered and quickly pressed a button on the projector they had brought out.

"It's my pet project," Hobbes continued. "Actually, I'm the first person to research this. Because you see, the history is fascinating. Because there is no history! There's no life in this entire system! There couldn't be. Before the Leisure Palace Company moved in, no one had come here in all eternity. No _living_ thing."

"But how do you know?" Jethro raised his eyebrows. "I mean, because no one can go outside."

"Oh, his imagination," Val rolled her eyes. "Here we go."

"He's got a point though," Rose put in.

"Exactly!" Hobbes said. "We look upon this world through glass, safe inside our metal box! Even the Leisure Palace was lowered down from orbit. And here we are now, crossing Midnight! But _never_ touching it."

Suddenly, a loud whirring sound came from the Crusader 50 and the car shook. The passengers looked around, confused as the vehicle came to a halt.

"We've stopped," Val stated. Rose turned to look at the Doctor. His brow was furrowed and he frowned at her.

"Have we stopped?" Val asked the hostess.

"Are we there?" Biff put in.

"We can't be," Dee Dee told them. "It's too soon."

"They don't stop," Hobbes said. "Crusader vehicles never stop."

"If you could just return to your seats," the attendant smiled. "It's just a small delay."

Everyone began moving back toward their seats, glancing at each other with perplexed looks. Rose watched the hostess call the driver asking what was wrong.

"Well," Biff raised his arms. "Maybe just a pit stop."

"There's no pit to stop in," Hobbes shook his head. "I've been on this expedition fourteen times. They never stop!"

"Well evidently they _have _stopped," Sky snapped. "So there's no point in denying it."

"We've broken down," Jethro laughed draping his arms on the seat back in front of him.

"Thanks, Jethro," Val said sarcastically.

"In the middle of nowhere!"

"That's enough," Biff looked over at the mocking boy. "Now stop it."

"Ladies and gentleman and variations thereupon," the stewardess came back down the aisle. "We're just experiencing a short delay. The driver needs to stabilize the engine feeds. It's perfectly routine, so if you could just stay in your seats."

The Doctor had other ideas. Motioning to Rose, the two walked toward the driver's cockpit.

"No, I'm sorry, I," the hostess stammered. "Could you please—?"

"There you go," the Doctor held up his psychic paper. "Engine experts. Two ticks."

"I'm sorry, if you two could just sit down please," she said as Rose and the Doctor pushed past her to step in the cockpit. "You're not supposed to be in there!"

The door slid closed behind them cutting off anything else the stewardess had to say. Rose and the Doctor leaned forward resting against the drivers' chairs.

"Sorry, if you could return to your seats please," one of the drivers said, looking at Rose.

"Company insurance," the Doctor showed him the psychic paper. "Let's see if we can get an early assessment. So, what's the problem, Driver Joe?"

"We're stabilizing the engine feeds," Joe looked away. "Won't take long."

"Um, no, 'cause that's the engine feed, that line there," the Doctor pointed to a screen on the side. "And it's fine. And it's a micropetrol engine, so stabilizing doesn't really make sense, does it? Sorry, this is Rose and I'm the Doctor."

"He's very clever," Rose put in. "So, what's wrong?"

"We've just stopped," the other driver said. "Look, all systems fine! Everything's working, but we're not moving."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began scanning the engines.

"Yeah, you're right," he said. "No faults."

"And who are you?" Rose asked looking down at the other driver.

"Claude," the man said tapping himself. "I'm the mechanic. Trainee."

"Nice to meet you," Rose smiled.

"I've sent a distress signal," Joe said. "They should dispatch a rescue truck, top speed."

"How long till they get here?" the Doctor asked.

"About an hour."

"Well, since we're waiting," the Doctor sniffed. "Should we take a look outside?"

Driver Joe's eyes widened and he shook his head warily.

"Just lift the screens a bit?"

"It's a hundred percent Xtonic out there!" Joe exclaimed. "We'd be vaporized!"

"Nah! Those windows are Finitoglass. They'd give you a couple of minutes."

"Go on," Rose gave the man a smile. "Live a little."

"Well," Joe blushed. Reaching forward, he pulled a lever. A clicking noise sounded, and soon enough the window screens in front of them released, revealing the dazzling landscape of Midnight. Pillars of diamond stones shot of towards the stars, shining in the sunlight brightly.

"Wow," Joe sighed taking in the blue stones. Rose stared at the outside in awe, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly.

"Oh, that is beautiful," the Doctor sighed, casting a glance at Rose who nodded in amazement.

"Look at all those diamonds!" Claude said. "Poisoned by the sun. No one can ever touch them!"

"Joe, you said we took a detour," the Doctor blinked.

"Just about forty kliks to the west."  
"Is that a recognized path?"

"No, it's a new one," Joe said. "The computer worked it out on automatic."

"So we're the first," Rose whispered. "This piece of ground, no one's ever been here before."

"Not in the whole of recorded history," the Doctor murmured.

"Did you just—no, sorry, it's nothing," Claude stammered.

"What did you see?" The Doctor squinted his eyes out the window.

"Just there," Claude pointed. "That ridge. Like, like a shadow. J-Just for a second."

"What sort of shadow?" the Doctor questioned as a beeping sound filled the cockpit. Rose turned around to see a flashing light behind her.

"Xtonic rising," Joe said. "Shields down."

"Look, look! There it is! There it is!" Claude shouted. "Look there!"

"Where?"

The shields closed down, blocking off their view of the outdoors.

"What was it?" Rose asked, leaning over to look at him.

"Like just something shifting," Claude mumbled breathing heavily. "Something sort of dark. Like it was running."

"Running which way?"

"Towards us!"

"Right, Doctor, Rose, back to your seats," Joe said. "And, er, not a word! Rescue's on its way. If you could close the door. Thank you."

The Doctor put a hand on Rose's back, directing her towards the door. She glanced at him nervously and he shrugged his shoulders.


	3. Bang Bang

"What did they say? Did they tell you?" Sky came up to them when they entered the main cabin. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Oh, just stabilizing," the Doctor said calmly. "Happens all the time."

"I don't need this," she growled. "I'm on a schedule. This is completely unnecessary!"

"Back to your seats, thank you," the hostess smiled walking down the aisle and into the cockpit. Sky let out a sigh, but obliged and stalked back over to her chair. Rose and the Doctor returned to their places as well. Nervousness gnawed at Rose and she tentatively grabbed the Doctor's arm for reassurance. He leaned over and whispered to her, "We'll be fine. It's just an hour."

"Excuse me, Doctor," a whisper came behind them. The Doctor turned and saw Dee Dee leaning toward them.

"But they're micropetrol engines, aren't they?" she murmured.

"Now, don't bother the man," Hobbes scolded.

"My father was a mechanic," she continued. "Micropetrol doesn't stabilize. What does 'stabilize' mean?"

From the back of the cabin, Jethro leaned into the aisle, trying to pick up the conversation. He shot Rose a glance, and she nodded to Dee Dee.

"Well, bit of flim-flam," the Doctor reassured. "Don't worry, they're sorting it out."

"So it's not the engines," Hobbes leaned over from behind Rose.

"Just a little pause that's all," Rose answered.

"How much air have we got?"

"Professor it's fine," The Doctor said.

"What did he say?" Val piped up, overhearing them.

"Nothing," Rose stated.

"Are we running out of air?"

"I was just speculating," Hobbes said as the stewardess returned from the cockpit.

"Is that right, miss?" Biff asked her, "Are we running out of air?"

"Is that what the captain said?" Val said loudly.

"If you could all just remain calm—"

"How much air have we got?"

"Mum, just stop it," Jethro said.

"I can assure you," the hostess smiled. "Everything is under control."

"Well it doesn't look like it to me!" Biff growled.

"Well he said it!" Val replied to Jethro.

"It's fine," Dee Dee reassured. "The air is on a circular filter."

"He started it!"

The whole cabin erupted into accusations and questions. Sky was confronting the hostess, Jethro was arguing with his mother, Biff was shouting at Hobbes, the whole scene made it impossible to think. Rose put her hands over her ears in exasperation.

"Shh, shh! Everyone!" the Doctor stood up in his chair. "QUIET!"

Everyone fell immediately silent. They all turned to the Doctor with grimaces and fearful glances.

"Thank you," he said. "Now, if you care to listen to my good friend, Dee Dee."  
The Doctor looked down at her and then nodded to the rest of the crew. Dee Dee stood up hesitantly.

"Oh, er," she began. "It's just that, well, the air is on a circular filter. So we could stay breathing for ten years."

"There you go," the Doctor said gazing at the other passengers. "And Rose and I have spoken to the captain. We can guarantee you everything's fine."

"Yeah," Rose stood up next to him. "We'll be moving in no time."

Exactly when the words left her mouth, two loud bangs sounded from the outside cabin. The passengers looked around with furrowed brows, second guessing themselves on what they heard. Rose opened her mouth to speak, but Val beat her too it.

"What was that?" she asked looking over at one of the side doors behind Hobbes and Dee Dee.

"Must be the metal," Hobbes said. "We're cooling down. It's just settling."

"Rocks," Dee Dee nodded. "Could be rocks falling."

"What I want to know is how long do we have to sit here?" Biff said looking to the Doctor.

"Doctor," Rose whispered. But the Doctor wasn't looking at her. His gaze was fixed on the side of the truck closest to them.

Two knocks sounded again, this time right next to Jethro. The teenager turned to look at the wall quickly. Silence followed.

"What is that?" Sky asked.

"There's someone out there," Val said.

Hobbes shook his head, "Now don't be ridiculous."

"Like I said," Dee Dee said. "It could be rocks."

"We're out in the open," the hostess said shakily. "Nothing could fall against the sides."

_Bang. Bang. _The noise came again.

"Knock knock," the Doctor murmured.

"Who's there?" Jethro let out a nervous chuckle. The crew looked over to the side door waiting to see if the sounds would come again. The seconds ticked by in silence, no one even dared to breathe.

"Is there something out there?" Sky broke the silence. "Well? Anyone?"

_Bang. Bang._

"What the hell is making that noise?!"

"I'm sorry, but the light out there is Xtonic," Hobbes interjected. "That means is would destroy any living thing is a split second. It is impossible for someone to be outside!"

The Doctor slowly walked down the aisle toward the centre door. Rose made to follow, but he put a hand out, motioning for her to stay. She leaned forward on her seat back, watching him make his way to the door. Silence enveloped the cabin again.

_Bang. Bang. _

"Well what the hell is that then?" panic rose up in Sky's voice.

"Sir, you really should get back to your seat!" the hostess snapped at the Doctor as he ran over to the wall. Pulling out his stethoscope, the Doctor ran the end over the wall. His tongue pressed against his the back of his teeth as he waited for the sound to come again.

"Hello?" he whispered.

_Bang. Bang. _

Sky gasped. The sound had moved farther down the car, away from the Doctor. Rose could feet her heart beat faster in her chest in fear.

_Bang. Bang. _

"It's moving," Jethro breathed. Walking slowly, the Doctor went down the aisle toward the back door. A rattling noise came from the door, the sound of something scraping the metal casing.

"It's tying the door!" Val gasped pointing at the emergency exit.

"There is no 'it'," Hobbes argued. "There's nothing out there! Can't be!"

The rattling came again, louder this time. Sky was breathing heavily now, her nerves getting the best of her. Rose moved out into the aisle, looking to the door.

_BANG. BANG. _

Everyone flinched and looked upward. Something was on the roof. The Doctor's eyes moved back and forth across the ceiling trying to pinpoint the noise's origin.

_BANG. BANG. _

Rose jumped as the sound came from the entrance door she was standing by. The Doctor ran over to her and pulled her back, pushing her behind him.

"Th-that's the entrance!" Val stammered, "Can it get in?"

"No," Dee Dee shook her head. "That door's on two-hundred weight hydraulics."

"Stop it," Hobbes shushed her. "Don't encourage them!"

"What do you think it is?" Dee Dee snapped at him. Cautiously, Biff had moved over to the door and was now pushing against it.

"Biff don't!" Val gasped.

"Mister Cane," the Doctor called out. "Better not."

"Nah," Biff scoffed. "It's cast iron that door."

As to prove his point, the man knocked the door three times.

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

Biff jumped back from the door as the rapid three taps came again. The noise seemed to be copying his knocks. Rose felt the Doctor slowly release his grip on her arm.

"Three times," Val said. "Did you hear that? It did it three times."

"It answered!" Jethro called out.

"It did it three times!"

"Alright, alright!" The Doctor moved forward positioning himself between the crew and the door. "Alright, everyone calm down."

"No, but it answered," Sky stuttered. "It answered! Don't tell me that thing's not alive! It answered him!"

_BANG. BANG. BANG._

The noise came more urgently now. The Doctor turned and pressed his palms against the door.

"Doctor, be careful," Rose said fearfully.

"I really must insist you get back to your seats!" the hostess pushed through the people to stand between them. Under the anger of her voice Rose could hear the woman's panic.

"No, don't just stand there telling us the rules!" Sky yelled, "You're the hostess! You're supposed to do something!"

_Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang._

Everyone turned to look to the Doctor as he banged his fist against the door four times. Silence followed from the outside.

"Doctor, what are you—" Rose broke of as four loud bangs sounded against the cabin.

_BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG._

"What is it? What the hell is making that noise?" Sky panicked. "She said she'd get me. Stop it. Make it stop! Somebody make it stop!"

Sky's breathing had become irregular and she was shuddering madly. The hostess ran over to the intercom tying to alert the drivers. The rest of the crew, however, we're looking at Sky, concern and fear across their faces.

"Don't just stand there looking at me!" Sky screamed. "It's not my fault! He started it with his stories!" Sky pointed to Hobbes standing away from the rest of the passengers.

"Calm down!" Rose said as the Doctor moved closer to Sky. "Everything's going to be fine."

"And he made it worse!" Sky gestured to Biff.

"What?" he said.

"You're not helping!" Val snapped at him.

"Why couldn't you leave it alone?" Sky shouted at the top of her lungs, "Stop staring at me! Just tell me what the hell it is!"

"Silvestry! Calm down!" Dee Dee said above Sky's voice.

_BANG!_

The sound came again, louder than before, on the top of the car.

_BANG!_

It began to travel down the cabin, heading in the direction of the panicking Sky.

_BANG!_

"It's coming for me," Sky stammered. "Oh, it's coming for me!"

_BANG!_

"It's coming for me!" She yelled backing away from the noise and against the door behind her. "It's coming for me! It's coming for me!"

_BANG! BANG!_

Sky began screaming as the sound came again and again each time closer to her. She sank down against the door cowering in fear.

"Get out of there!" the Doctor yelled running towards her.

_BANG!_

With a tremendous crash, the ceiling in front of her bent downward, rocking the vehicle violently. The passengers were thrown to the sides and sparks flew up around them. The Doctor fell against the floor, his head whipping back on the seat side behind him. The car continued to rock, throwing passengers into each other and against the floor. Sky's screams echoed against the cabin.

The Doctor felt someone crash against him in the dark and he heard Rose cry out. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against his chest, using his body as a shield to protect her. The cabin gave on final shudder and car was plunged into blackness.


	4. Copying

Many groans came from the passengers when the car stopped shaking. Strangely, the entertainment system had turned on, giving the cabin some faint light.

Rose lifted her head and felt the Doctor slowly release his hold on her. She brought herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her neck.

"You alright?" the Doctor asked with concern in his voice.

"Yeah fine," she gave a weak smile. "You?"

"Arms, legs, neck, head, nose," he grunted using the chair back to haul himself up. "I'm fine."

He offered Rose a hand and pulled her up next to him. Rose gazed around at the other passengers in the faint light trying to see if they were okay.

"Everyone else? How are we?" the Doctor called out as he caught his breath back. "Everyone alright?"

"Earthquake," Hobbes moaned. "Must be."

"But that's impossible," Dee Dee called out. "The ground is fixed. It's solid!"

"We've got torches," the hostess said shakily. "Everyone take a torch, there in the back of the seats."

The entertainment system finally fizzled out as the crew began fumbling around grabbing torches and shining them about. Reaching behind him, the Doctor grabbed two torches and passed one to Rose. He flicked his on and shined the beam in Rose's face, checking for any injuries.

"Doctor, I'm fine," she said squinting her eyes against the light. "Honestly."

"Sorry."

Now that the other passengers were equipped with their torches they began looking one another over, just as the Doctor had done for Rose.

"Oh, Jethro," Val cooed as Jethro walked by. "Sweetheart, come here."

"Never mind me, what about her?" he said. Shining his torch in front of him, the beam cast over to where Sky had been. Rose followed the light, and gasped in surprise. All the chairs had been turned over, broken and twisted is odd ways, facing the cowering form of Sky. Her hands were up against her head, covering her face with her back facing them.

"What's happened to the seats?" Val gasped.

"Who did that?"Biff said.

"They've been ripped up!"

The Doctor stepped away from Rose and ran over to Sky. Kneeling down beside her, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, it's alright," he soothed. "It's alright. It's over. We're still alive. Look, the wall's still intact. Do you see? We're safe."

"Joe, Claude?" the stewardess had picked up the intercom. "Driver Joe, can you hear me?"

No answer. Angrily, she threw the phone down. Walking briskly down the aisle she went over to the door to the cockpit.

"I'm not getting any response," she said. "The intercom must be down."

The hostess unlocked the door and the cabin was flooded with intense light. Everyone screamed and covered their faces from the Xtonic glare. The alarm sounded, screeching its warning to the dazed passengers. Quickly, the hostess groped out blindly for the button and closed the door.

"What happened?" Val screamed. "What was that?"

"Was it the driver?" Rose's voice broke. "Did we lose Joe and Claude?"

"The cabin's gone," the stewardess caught her breath.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hobbes said. "It can't be gone. How can it be gone?"

"W-well you saw it," Dee Dee mumbled.  
"There was nothing there," the hostess was breathing heavily. "Like it was ripped away."

"What are you doing?" Biff interrupted shinning his light on the Doctor. The Doctor had left Sky's side and was now looking at the electrical panel feeling around the edge with a furrowed brow.

"Ah that's better," he said to Biff. "Little bit of light. Thank you. Molto bene."

"Do you know what you're doing?" Val cut in as the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

"Of course he does," Rose said walking over to stand over him. She shined her torch over the electrical panel giving the Doctor more light.

"Thank you, Rose!"

"The cabin's gone!" Biff yelled. "You better leave that wall alone!"

"The cabin can't be gone!" Hobbes argued.

"No, it's safe," said the Doctor removing the electrical panel. "Any rupture would automatically seal itself."

With a grunt he turned the panel over. Wires were twisted and frayed against the panel, broken off from their attaching points in the car's system.

"But something sliced it off," he whispered. "You're right, the cabin's gone."

"But if it gets separated—" the stewardess began.

"—It loses integrity," the Doctor finished and Rose gasped. "I'm sorry, they've been reduced to dust. The driver and the mechanic."

The hostess made a sound like a choked sob and shook her head, while the other passengers looked at one in another in fear.

"But they sent a distress signal," the Doctor assured coming to stand by Rose. "Help is on its way. They saved our lives; we are going to get out of here."

He cast a glance at Rose, "I promise."

"We're still alive," Rose added. "And they are going to find us."

"Doctor, look at her," Jethro's wavering voice broke through the conversation. All eyes turned to where Jethro's torch was pointing. Sky still hadn't moved from her position.

"Right, yes," the Doctor murmured. "Sorry. Have we got a medical kit?"

"Why won't she turn around?" Jethro whispered. The Doctor shined his torch beam on Sky, looking her crouched form up and down.

"What's her name?" Hobbes asked the hostess.

"Silvestry," she stammered. "Mrs. Sky Silvestry."

"Sky?" Rose called out. "Sky, you okay?"

The woman said nothing.

"Sky, can you hear me?" the Doctor said bending down behind her. "Are you alright? Can you move, Sky? Just look at me."

"That noise from outside," Jethro murmured looking about the cabin. Rose glanced at him fearfully, immediately catching on to what he was implying.

"It's stopped," she clarified.

"Well, thank God for that," Val spoke.

"But what if it's not outside anymore?" Jethro continued. "What if it's inside?

"Inside?" Val's voice rose, "Where?"

"It was heading for her."

Rose looked toward the Doctor. He had begun to inch closer to Sky trying to look at her hidden face. Rose's heart thudded in her chest, anxiety crawling in her belly.

"Sky? It's alright, Sky," he was whispering. "I just want you to turn around, face me."

Sky's hands slowly fell from her face, her shadow casting eerie shapes on the cabin wall. Almost cautiously, she turned and faced the Doctor, eyes fixed on the floor. Flicking her head, she looked over to the passengers with searching eyes. Her gaze flitted to Jethro, to Biff, and then to Rose. Rose could feel the hairs on the back rise and she held her breath.

The Doctor leaned forward slightly and Sky whipped her head around to glare at him. He tilted his head to the left slightly staring at her intently. Sky mirrored his movements, gazing at him with an unwavering stare. The Doctor tilted his head to the other side. Sky copied him at first, and then snapped her head up to stare at him.

"Sky?" the Doctor whispered. She was silent for a few moments, almost like she was thinking.

"Sky?" she answered.

"Are you alright?" he said.

"Are you alright?" Sky repeated.

"Are you hurt?"

"Are you hurt?"

"You don't have to talk."

"You don't have to talk."

"I'm trying to help."

"I'm trying to help," Sky continued mimicking the Doctor like a parrot, her voice in a monotone.

"My name's the Doctor," he said carefully.

"My name's the Doctor," she relayed back.

"Okay, can you stop?"

"Okay, can you stop?"

"I'd like you to stop."

"I'd like you to stop."

"Why is she doing that, Doctor?" Rose said to the Doctor her voice unusually loud. Sky whipped her head toward her and fixed with her cold eyes.

"Why is she doing that, Doctor?" Sky hissed. Rose flinched, her eyes widening.

"She's gone mad," Biff murmured.

"She's gone mad," Sky copied him.

"Stop it," Val said plainly.

"Stop it."

"I said stop it!" she snapped.

"I said stop it."

"I don't think she can," Dee Dee put in.

"I don't think she can," Sky looked to Dee Dee, her blank face unchanging.

"Alright now, stop it," Hobbes said. "This isn't funny."

"Alright now, stop it. This isn't funny."

"Shh, shh, shh, shh," the Doctor turned to them "All of you."

"Shh, shh, shh, shh, all of you."

"My name's Jethro," the teenager smiled.

"My name's Jethro," Sky looked to him.

"Jethro leave it," Rose said to him. "Just shut up."

"Jethro leave it, just shut up," Sky repeated.

"Why are you repeating?" the Doctor leaned close to Sky, his eyebrows raised. She looked directly at him and spoke.

"Why are you repeating?"

"What is that," he whispered. "Learning?"

"What is that, learning?" Sky said.

"Copying?"

"Copying?"

"Absorbing?"

"Absorbing?"

"The square root of pie is 1.772453850905516027298167483341. Wow."

"The square root of pie is 1.772453850905516027298167483341. Wow." Sky repeated perfectly, overlapping his words half way though so it was almost impossible to tell who was speaking until after the Doctor had finished. But when Sky copied the word 'wow', her tone changed a little, like a back-talking kid. Rose was breathing heavily now, wanting to get as far away as possible from the woman.

"But that's impossible," Hobbes shook his head.

"But that's impossible," Sky replayed his words turning to glare blankly at him.

"She couldn't repeat all that," Dee Dee tapped him on the arm.

"She couldn't repeat all that."

"Tell her to stop," Val ordered.

"Tell her to stop."

"She's driving me mad!"

"She's driving me mad."

"Just make her stop!"

"Just make her stop."

"It's got to be a trick," the hostess guessed.

"It's got to be a trick."

"Stop her staring at me," Val said. "Shut her up."

"Stop her staring at me. Shut her up."

"That's impossible," Dee Dee murmured.

"That's impossible."  
"I'm telling you, whatever your name is!" Biff yelled at her.

"I'm telling you, whatever your name is."

"Now stop it, all of you!" The Doctor stood up from the floor. "Now!"

"Now stop it, all of you. Now."

"Her eyes," Hobbes said loudly over the dim of the other passengers talking at once. "What's wrong with her eyes?"

"Her eyes. What's wrong with her eyes?"

"She'll copy anything," Jethro was smiling like he had just heard a good joke.

"She'll copy anything."

"Biff, don't just stand there, do something!" Val snapped at her husband. "Make her stop!"

"Biff, don't just stand there, do something. Make her stop."

"You're scaring my wife!" he growled at Sky.

"You're scaring my wife."

"Mrs. Silvestry," the hostess tried to talk to her.

"Mrs. Silvestry."

"Six, six, six!" Jethro shouted in a lofty tone.

"Six, six, six."

Rose watched as all the passengers began speaking at once with Sky copying everything her ears could pick up. The noise was maddening. Rose wished it would all stop, wanting to be anywhere but here. But what she desperately wanted was to hear the Doctor's voice. To hear him tell her it would be alright and get them out safely. But she was too afraid to speak.

"Stop it! Do something!" Val was screaming now. "Make her stop!"

"Stop it. Do something. Make her stop."

On the second 'stop' a loud buzzing noise sounded at the lights of the truck flickered back online. Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Taking a breath, the hostess said, "That's the backup system."

"Well," Biff sighed. "That's a bit better."

"What about the rescue?" Val asked, "How long's it going to take?"

"About sixty minutes," the attendant checked her watch. "That's all."

"Then I suggest we all calm down," Hobbes said. "This panic isn't helping."

Rose saw Jethro furrow his brow. She followed his gaze to the unusually quiet Sky. She wasn't repeating anymore.

Hobbes continued, "This poor woman is evidently in a state of,"

"—self induced hysteria," Sky whispered at the exact time Hobbes spoke. "We should leave her."

"Doctor," Jethro started.

"I know," the Doctor said calmly looking at Sky.

"Doctor," Hobbes and Sky said in unison. "Now step back. I think you should leave her—"

"—alone," Sky finished when Hobbes stopped. Hobbes frowned at her and his eyes widened.

"What's she doing?" Hobbes and Sky whispered simultaneously.

"How can she do that?" Val said with Sky. "She's talking with you. And with me! Oh my god, Biff, what's she doing?"

"She's repeating," Jethro and Sky said. "At exactly the same time."

"That's impossible," Dee Dee and Sky murmured.

"It's not even a delay," Sky mimicked with Hobbes.

"Doctor," Rose whispered as Sky copied her. Sky turned her stare to her, and Rose could swear she saw the woman smile. "How is she…?"

The Doctor shot her a glance, and Rose saw fear flicker in them for a second. He shook his head at her slightly, silently telling her not to speak.

"Oh man, that is weird," Jethro cut in and Sky talked with his voice.

"I think you should all be very, very quiet," The Doctor and Sky said as he turned to the passengers. "Have you got that?"

"How is she doing it?" Val and Sky said.

"Mrs. Cane, please be quiet," the Doctor glanced at her.

"How can she do that?" Val screamed with Sky. "She's got my voice! She's got my words!

"Come on, be quiet," Biff and Sky said in unison. "Hush now, hush—She's doing it to me!"

"Just stop it all of you!" the Doctor and Sky commanded. "Stop it please!"

The Doctor turned back to Sky and knelt down to her, his gaze fixed on her blank face.

"Now then Sky? Are you Sky?" They said together, "Is Sky still in there? Mrs. Silvestry? You know exactly what I'm going to say. How are you doing that?"

The Doctor paused, and then tried a new tactic.

"Roast beef. Bananas," he and Sky blurted out. "The Medusa Cascade."

The Doctor leaned forward as if he was going to whisper something. Sky tilted her head forward as well, miring his movements.

"Bang!" they shouted at the same time. "Rose Tyler, Captain Jack, Mickey Smith, TARDIS!"

The Doctor frowned and leaned back.

"Shamble, bobble, dipple, dooble," they sprouted off random words. "Oh Doctor, you're so handsome. Yes, I am thank you! A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O!"

He had a faint smile on his face from the last sentences, but he slowly frowned as Sky's face stayed blank. Standing up again, the Doctor backed away from the woman. Rose ran over and stood behind him, on hand pressed against his arm as if to stop him from moving near the woman again. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and nodded toward Sky.

"First she repeats and then she catches up," he and Sky murmured. "What's the next stage?"

"Next stage of what?" Dee Dee and Sky said.

"It's not her is it?" Jethro and Sky said in a solemn tone. "It's not Mrs. Silvestry anymore."

"I don't think so, no," the Doctor and Sky replied.

Val began to cry, burying her face into Biff's chest. Sky even mimicked her whimpers, sending chills running up Rose's spine.

"I think, the more we talk, the more she learns," Sky copied the Doctor's voice once more. "Now I'm all for education, but in this case, maybe not. Let's just move back."

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her away.

"Come on, come with me," he and Sky said to the rest of the crew, releasing Rose so that he could motion them all away from what used to be Sky. "Everyone get back. All of you, as fast as you can."

"Doctor make her stop," Val and Sky whimpered. Rose went over to her and turned her away from Sky.

"Val, come with me," she said and Sky copied Rose now. "Come to the back. Stop looking at her."

"Come on, Jethro," the Doctor and Sky called the boy over. "You too. Everyone come on."

The passengers of the Crusader 50 huddled in the back of the car by the coffee maker, with the Doctor and Rose on the outside closest to Sky. Even though they were talking in whispers, Sky repeated every word they uttered.

"Fifty minutes, that's all we need," the Doctor said. "Fifty minutes till the rescue arrives."

The Doctor turned back to look at Sky. She had not moved from where she sat crouched on the floor.

"And, she's not exactly strong," he and Sky whispered. "Look at her. All she's got it our voices."

"I can't, I can't look at her," Val shook her head. "It's those eyes."

Rose turned and looked back. Sky's cold stare glared at her, her eyes never blinking. Rose felt her heart rate speed up and her breath hitched. She couldn't look away. Those blue eyes just stared at her, daring her to blink or move.

"_Are you alright?_" Sky said making Rose let out a small scream.

"Rose!" the Doctor turned her away from Sky.

"Sh-she spoke!"

"No, she didn't," the Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders. "She was just copying me. You see? She's still doing it now."

Rose glanced back over at the Sky in fear. She was breathing heavily now, each breath matching her rapid beating heart.

"Rose," the Doctor reached out and turned her head to him. "Look at me. Alright? Just don't look at her."

"We must not look at goblin men," Dee Dee and Sky said. Rose and the Doctor turned to look at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Biff challenged.

"It's a poem," the Doctor straightened up. "Christina Rossetti."

"We must not look at goblin men. We must not buy their fruits," Dee Dee and Sky said in unison. "Who knows upon what soil they feed, their hungry thirsty roots?"

"Actually," the Doctor and Sky said. "I don't think that's helping."

"She's not a goblin or a monster," Hobbes shook his head. "She's just a very sick woman."

"Maybe that's why it went for her," Jethro spoke up.

"There is no 'it'!" Hobbes and Sky argued.

"Think about it though," Sky copied Jethro's words. "That knocking went all the way around the bus until it found her. And she was the most scared out of all of us. Maybe, that's what it needed. That's how it got in."

"For the last time," Hobbes sighed. "Nothing can live on the surface of Midnight!"

"Professor, I'm glad you've got an absolute definition of life in the universe," the Doctor and Sky said. "But, perhaps the universe has got ideas of its own. Hm? Now trust me, I've got previous. I think there might, well, be some consciousness inside Mrs. Silvestry. But maybe she's still in there, and it's our job to help her."

"Well you can help her," Biff sneered. "I'm not going near."

"No, I've got to stay back," the Doctor whispered with Sky. "Because if she's copying us, then maybe the final stage is becoming us. I don't want her becoming me, or Rose, or things could get a whole lot worse."

"Oh, like you're so special," Val retorted.

"As it happens," Rose put in. "Yes, he is."

"So that's decided," the Doctor and Sky said again. "We stay back, and we wait. When the rescue ship comes, we can get her to hospital."

"We should throw her out," the hostess and Sky said darkly.

"I beg your pardon?" Hobbes sounded astonished.

"Can we do that?" Val asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," the Doctor said with Sky.

"That's absurd!" Rose agreed.

"That thing, whatever it is," the attendant and Sky growled. "Killed the driver, and the mechanic, and I don't think she's finished yet."

"She can't even move!" the Doctor pointed to the crouching Sky.

"Look at her, look at her eyes!" the hostess and Sky cried. "She killed Joe, and she killed Claude, and we're next!"

"She's still doing it!" Biff pushed past the Doctor and walked toward Sky. "Just stop it! Stop talking! Stop it!"

Sky repeated every one of his words in the same tone simultaneously.

"Biff, don't, sweetheart!" Val reached out for him.

"But she won't stop!" Biff stalked back over to them. "And we can't throw her out, though. We can't even open the doors."

"No one," the Doctor said sternly. "Is getting thrown out."

Biff glared at the Doctor for a few moments, not breaking his gaze, before walking back to stand by his wife. The Doctor's eyes followed him, as he turned back around.

"Yes, we can," Dee Dee said firmly. "'Cause there's an air pressure shield."

Everyone turned toward her as Dee Dee pointed to the hostess and continued.

"Like when you opened the cabin door," she and Sky said. "You weren't pulled out; you had a couple of seconds. Because it takes the pressure wall about six seconds to collapse. Well, six seconds exactly. That's enough time to throw someone out."

"Thanks, Dee Dee," the Doctor growled. "Just what we needed."

"Would it kill her outside?" Val and Sky asked.

"I don't know," Dee Dee said. "But she's got a body now. It would certainly kill the physical form—"

"No one is killing anyone!" the Doctor yelled leaning forward over the crew.

"I wouldn't risk the cabin door twice," the hostess ignored him. "But we've got that one." She pointed to the exit door beside her. "All we need to do is grab hold of her and throw her out!"

"Now listen, all of you!" the Doctor and Sky said. "For all we know, that's a brand new life form over there. And if it's come inside to discover us, then what's it found? This little bunch of humans. What do you amount to, murder? 'Cause this is where you decide! You decide who you are! Could you actually murder her? Any of you? Really? Or are you better than that?"

The passengers eyes darted from one another and a few of them looked to the ground shamefully. All of them we're silent for a few moments.

"I'd do it," the Hostess finally spoke.

"So would I," Biff and Sky said.

"And me," Val backed up her husband.

"I think we should," Dee Dee said coldly.

"What?" the Doctor said aghast.

"I want her out," Sky rasped with Dee Dee.

"But that's murder!" Rose gasped. "Cold bloody murder!"

"You can't say that," the Doctor said to Dee Dee.

"I'm sorry, but you said it yourself, Doctor," Dee Dee sounded scared. "She is growing in strength!"

"That's not what he said!" Rose and Sky argued.

"I want to go home," Dee Dee's lip quavered. "I'm sorry. I want to be safe."

"You'll be safe," the Doctor assured. "Any minute now. The rescue truck is on its way."

"And what happens then, Doctor?" the hostess and Sky hissed. "If it takes that thing back to the Leisure Palace, if that thing reaches civilization, what if it spreads?"

"No, 'cause when we get back to the base, I'll be there to contain it."

"Well you haven't done much so far!" Val snapped.

"You're just standing in the back with the rest of us," Biff stated.

"He's doing all he can to help!" Rose defended him.

"She's dangerous," the attendant said. "It's my job to see this vessel is safe, and we should _get rid of her_."

"Now, hang on," Hobbes and Sky interrupted. "I think perhaps we're all going a little bit too far."

"At last!" the Doctor reached forward and clapped Hobbes on the shoulder. "Thank you."

"Two people are dead!" the hostess yelled stamping her foot down.

"Don't make it a third!" the Doctor and Sky snapped at her. Then turning to Jethro he said, "Jethro, what do you say?"

"I'm not killing anyone."

Jethro looked to Rose and she gave him a small smile.

"Thank you," she nodded to him.

"He's just a boy," Val said with Sky.

"What, so I don't get a vote?"

"There is no vote!" the Doctor's voice rose. "It's not happening! Ever! If you try to throw her out that door you'll have to get past me first."

"And me," Rose said shakily, going to stand beside the Doctor. He gave her a nod and went back to glaring at the rest of the crew, anger displayed across his facade.

"Okay," the hostess spoke up.

"Fine by me," Biff spat.

"Oh now you're being stupid!" the Doctor shouted. "Just think about it, could you actually take hold of someone and throw them out of that door?!"

"Calling me a coward?"

"Who put you in charge anyway?" Val growled.

"I'm sorry," Hobbes and Sky asked. "But you're a doctor of what exactly?"

"He and his friend weren't even booked in," the hostess took a step forward. "The rest of you, tickets in advance. They just turned up out of the blue."

"Where from?" Val and Sky questioned.

"We're just traveling," the Doctor took a step back near Rose. "I'm just a traveler, that's all."

"Like an immigrant?"

"And what about her?" the hostess nodded to Rose. "What does she do?"

"She's just Rose," the Doctor looked at her. "Just my traveling companion."

"Why do you need a companion?" Biff and Sky spoke up.

"He hasn't even told us his name," Val hissed.

"Thing is though, Doctor," Jethro looked at him. "You've been loving this."

"Oh, Jethro," the Doctor groaned. "Not you."

"No, but ever since all the troubles started, you've been loving it."

"It has to be said," Hobbes and Sky brought up. "You do seem to have a certain glee."

"Alright, I'm interested," the Doctor confessed. "Yes, I can't help it! 'Cause whatever's inside her is brand new!" He pointed to Sky. "And that's fascinating!"

"What, you wanted this to happen?" Val accused.

"No!"

"And you!" Biff turned to Rose. "You were talking to her! All on your own, before all the trouble! Right at the front, you were talking to that Sky woman, the two of you together! I saw you!"

Rose opened her mouth to defend herself but no words came.

"You leave her alone," the Doctor's voice was grave.

"We all did!" Val and Sky barked.

"And you two went into the cabin," the hostess's voice broke.

"What were you saying to her?" Biff yelled at Rose.

"I was just talking—!" Rose started.

"Saying what?!"

"You called us humans!" Jethro shouted at the Doctor now, "Like you're not one of us!"

"He did!" Val and Sky said. "That's what he said!"

"And the wiring," Dee Dee spoke up. "He went into that panel and opened up the wiring."

"That was after!" the Doctor said through gritted teeth.

"But how did you know what to do?!" Biff and Sky yelled.

"Because I'm clever!"

The passengers were silent. Looking around at one another began nodding their heads and looking at the Doctor with disapproval.

"I see," Hobbes huffed. "Well, that makes things clear."

"And what are we then?" Biff and Sky snapped. "Idiots?!"

"That's not what I meant," the Doctor was breathing heavily, trying to hold down his anger.

"If you're clever than what are we?" Dee Dee looked him up and down.

"You've been looking down on us from the moment we walked in!" Val shot at him.

"Even if he goes," the hostess and Sky said quietly. "He's practically volunteered."

"Oh, come on!" the Doctor sounded exasperated. "Just listen to yourselves! Please!"

"Do you mean?" Biff looked at the other passengers. "We throw him out as well."

Rose felt her heart skip a beat. She looked around to the others. All the passengers were staring at the Doctor with hatred, but more ultimately, fear.

"If we have to," the hostess and Sky said finally.

"No you can't!" Rose moved forward but the Doctor put and arm out to stop her.

"Stay out of this, I don't want you getting involved," he whispered. "Look just. Right, sorry, yes, hold on just. I know you're scared," the Doctor spoke to the crew. "And so am I. Look at me, I am. But we have all got to calm down, and cool off, and think!"

"Perhaps you could tell us your name," Hobbes and Sky said.

"What does it matter?"

"Then tell us."

"John Smith," the Doctor blurted out. Val rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You're real name," Hobbes and Sky commanded.

"He's lying!" Biff cut in. "Look at his face!"

"His eyes are the same as hers," Val muttered in unison with Sky.

"Why won't you tell us?" Jethro spat at him.

"It's a simple enough question," Dee Dee looked at him accusingly.

"He's been lying to us right from the start!" Val yelled.

"Just say it!" Jethro and Sky said loudly.

"No one's called John Smith," Biff spat. "Come off it!"

"Now, listen to me. Listen to me right now!" the Doctor and Sky shouted. "Because you need me! All of you! If we're going to get out of this thing, you need _me_!"

"So you keep saying," Hobbes said alone. "You've been repeating yourself more than her!"

There was something different about his voice. Rose felt as if it was missing something, something she couldn't quite name.

"If anyone's in charge, it should be the Professor!" Val shouted in the same missing voice like Hobbes. "He's the expert!"

"Mum, just stop," Jethro spoke quieting the bunch. "Just look."

"You keep out of this, Jethro!"

"Look at her!" Jethro raised his voice and nodded to Sky. Rose turned to gaze at the crouching woman. Sky's eyes looked at them hauntingly, but there was something different about her.

"She's stopped," Dee Dee said, and Sky did not repeat her. She sat there, waiting, lurking in the back, just staring but never speaking.


	5. Stolen Voices

It was the Doctor who finally broke the silence.

"When did she?" he said, and Sky spoke with him. "No, she hasn't, she's still doing it."

"She looks the same to me," Val whispered, but Sky didn't copy her. "Oh, she's stopped! Look I'm talking and she's not!"

The Doctor began to carefully walk down the aisle towards Sky.

"Doctor, be careful!" Rose said without Sky.

"You too!" Biff said to Rose. "What about me, is she? Look, look at that! She's not doing me. She's let me go."

"Mrs. Silvestry?" the hostess called out and Sky said nothing. "Nor me. Nothing."

"Sky?" the Doctor and Sky said together. "What are you doing?"

"She's still doing him," Dee Dee gasped.

"Doctor, what's going on?" Rose went over to stand by him. "Why's she only copying you?"

"Why me?" the Doctor and Sky breathed. "Why are you doing this?"

"She won't leave him alone!" Dee Dee said.

"Do you see?" Val put in. "I said so. She's with him!"

"They're together," Biff said.

"That's not true," Rose turned and faced them ready to shout out another retort. "If you think—!"

"How do you explain it, Doctor?" Hobbes cut her off. "If you're so clever?"

"I don't know," Sky and the Doctor said in unison. "Sky, stop it. I said stop it! Just stop it!"

The Doctor walked over and stood above Sky. His teeth we're gritted and his eyes wild with anger and fear.

"Look at the two of them!" Val said.

The Doctor kneeled down directly in front of Sky. The woman's eyes followed him down, and stared blankly into his own when they were level.

"Mrs. Silvestry, I'm trying to understand," they spoke together. "You've captured my speech, what for? What do you need?"

The Doctor tilted his head back slightly, trying to figure this puzzle out.

"You need my voice in particular," he and Sky voiced. "The cleverest voice in the room. Why? 'Cause I'm the only one who can help? Oh, I'd love that to be true, but your eyes. They're saying something else."

Rose's heart hammered in her chest, and she had to force herself from running over the Doctor and holding him close. She wanted Sky to stop. Why was she doing this? What did she have to accomplish?

"Listen to me," the Doctor and Sky's voice shook. "Whatever you want, if it's life, or form, or consciousness, or voice—you don't have to steal it. You can find it without hurting anyone! And I'll help you. That's a promise. So, what do you think?"

"Do we have a deal?" Sky said first with the Doctor overlapping her. The crew's eyes widened and they began looking at each other confusedly.

"Hold on," Dee Dee began. "Did she—?"

"She spoke first," Jethro finished for her.

"She can't have," Rose argued shaking her head.

"She did," Hobbes said.

Jethro whispered again, "She spoke first."

"Doctor?" Rose spoke up. "Doctor, what's going on?"

The two crouching figures were silent, each one staring at each other intently. The Doctor's body was shaking slightly, small tremors traveling down his spine, like he was shivering from the cold. Slowly, Sky tilted her head, a small, cruel smile spreading across her face.

"Oh, look at that," she hissed.

"Oh, look at that," the Doctor copied.

"I'm ahead of you."

"I'm ahead of you."

"Did you see?" Hobbes moved closer to them. "She spoke before he did! Definitely!"

"He's copying her," Jethro murmured.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Rose's voice shook.

"I think it's moved," Sky said.

"I think it's moved," the Doctor stared blankly at Sky.

"I think it's letting me go," Sky had her eyebrows raised.

"I think it's letting me go."

"What do you mean?" Dee Dee asked, "Letting you go from what?"

"But he's repeating now," Biff said. "He's the one doing it. It's him."

"They're separating," Jethro whispered.

"Doctor, tell me what's going on," Rose ran over and crouched beside him, placing a hand on his arm. "Doctor, what's going on? Answer me!"

She could feel the Doctor's body tremble beneath her hand. He wouldn't look at her, but continued to stare directly at Sky.

"Mrs. Silvestry," Hobbes called out. "Is that you?"

"Yes, yes," Sky breathed. "It's me!"

"Yes, yes, it's me," the Doctor mimicked.

"I'm coming back! Listen!"

"I'm coming back."

"It's me!"

"Listen. It's me."

"Like it's passed into the Doctor," Jethro said. "It's transferred. Whatever it is, it's gone inside him."

"No, that's not what happened," Dee Dee said softly almost confusedly.

"Doctor, can you hear me?" Rose shook his shoulder. "Doctor? Doctor, look at me! Please!"

"But look at her!" Val said.

"Look at me," Sky lifted her hands. "I can move."

"Look-at-me," the Doctor seemed to be forcing the words out.

"I can feel again."

"I-can-move."

"I'm coming back to life!"

"I can feel again," the Doctor stammered. "I'm coming back to life."

"And look at him," Sky bent her head toward him. "He can't move."

"And look at him. He can't move."

Rose glanced at Sky, and the woman gave her a sad smile. Something burned behind those blue eyes, something dark and hidden. Sky blinked at her.

"What have you done?" Rose raised her voice. "What have you done to the Doctor?! Let him go!"

"Help me," Sky turned to the Hobbes.

"Help-me."

"Professor?"

"Professor."

"Get me away from him."

"Get-me-away-from-him."

"Please."

"Please."

Hobbes looked at Sky, then to the crew, and then back to Sky. She was reaching out to him, with a sad, almost pitiful, stare. Slowly, the professor walked around the Doctor and Rose to stand beside her. He tentatively reached his hands out and Sky took them. Hauling her up, they stepped away from the shaking Doctor.

"Oh, thank you!" she sighed.

"Oh thank you."

"They've completely separated," Jethro stated.

"It's in him," Biff spat. "Don't you see? I said it was him all the time."

"No!" Rose cried and moved in front of the Doctor. He seemed to be staring through her, his eyes unfocused and haunted. Rose shook his shoulders roughly, trying to get him to respond.

"Come on, Doctor!" she yelled at him. "Look at me! Please!"

"He can't hear you, Rose," Sky told her.

"He-can't-hear-you," the Doctor's body shuddered. "_Rose._"

"She's free!" Val gaped when Sky came to stand in the centre of the crew. "She's been saved!"

"Oh, it was so cold!" Sky sighed.

"Oh, it was so cold."

"I couldn't breathe."

"I-couldn't-breathe."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm-sorry."

"I must have scared you so much!"

"I-must-have-scared-you-so-much."

Val let out a sigh and went over to Sky, giving her a sympathetic hug. The Doctor trembled again and Rose put a hand on his cheek.

"Doctor," she whispered. "_Please._"

"No, no," Val sniffed patting Sky's back. "It's alright, I've got you. Ooo, there you are, my love. It's gone. Everything's alright now."

"I wouldn't touch her," Dee Dee spoke up.

"But it's gone, she's clean!" Biff said. "It passed into him."

"That's not what happened!"

"Thank you for your opinion, Dee," Hobbes looked down at her. "But clearly, Mrs. Silvestry has been released!"

"No," Rose left the Doctor and came to stand by Dee Dee. "Dee Dee's right. The Doctor—"

"You just keep your mouth shut!" Biff snapped at her. "You were traveling with him; you're probably on his side! But this woman is clean!"

"Just leave her alone," Val cut in. "She's safe isn't she? Jethro, it's let her go hasn't it?"

"I think so, yeah," Jethro looked to Sky. "Looks like it. Professor?"

"I'd say, from observation," Hobbes said. "The Doctor can't move. And when she was possessed, she couldn't move, so—"

"Well, there we are then," Biff interrupted. "Now the only problem we've got is this Doctor."

"It's inside his head," Sky told them.

"It's inside his head," the Doctor said.

"No!" Rose yelled.

"It killed the driver," Sky continued, ignoring her.

"It killed the driver," the Doctor forced out.

"And the mechanic."

"And-the-mechanic."

"And now it wants us."

"And-now-it-wants-us."

"I said so," Val put in.

"He's waited so long," Sky turned to them all.

"He's waited so long."

"That's not true!" Rose cried.

"In the dark," Sky continued.

"In the dark," the Doctor followed.

"And the cold."

"And-the-cold."

"And the diamonds."

"And-the-diamonds."

"Until you came!" Sky looked to each of them.

"Until you came."

"Bodies _so_ hot—"

"Bodies so hot," the Doctor was speaking through clenched teeth, his whole body rocked with spasms.

"—with blood," Sky continued.

"With blood."

"And pain."

"And-pain."

"Oh my God, make him stop!" Val called out. "Someone make him stop!"

"But she's saying it!" Rose cried.

"And you can shut up!" Val snapped at her.

"But it's not him, it's her!" Dee Dee backed Rose up. "He's just repeating!"

"But that's what the thing does!" Biff said. "It repeats!"

"Let her talk," the hostess piped up.

"What do you know?" Biff turned on her. "Fat lot of good you've been!"

"Just let her explain!" the hostess turned and nodded to Dee Dee.

"Well, I think," Dee Dee stammered. "I mean from what I've seen. It repeats, then it synchronizes, then it goes onto the next stage, and that's exactly what the Doctor said would happen!"

"What? And you're on his side?" Biff spat.

"No!"

Rose was about to speak, but Jethro beat her to it, "The voice is the thing!"

"And she's the voice!" Dee Dee said. "She stole it! Look at her! It's not possessing him, it's draining him!"

Sky looked confusedly at them, smiling slightly.

"She's got his voice," Rose whispered in realization.

"But that's not true," Val said. "'Cause is can't be. Because I saw it pass into him. I saw it with my own eyes!"

"So did I!" Biff said.

"You didn't!" Rose tried to speak.

"It went from her to him!" Val shouted and turned to Jethro. "You saw it didn't you?"

"I don't know," he mumbled.

"Oh, don't be stupid, Jethro!" Val snapped at him. "Of course you did!"

"I suppose, he was right next to her," Jethro obliged.

"Everyone saw it!" Biff raised his voice challengingly. "Everyone!"

"You didn't!" Rose shouted. "You're just making in up! He's my friend and I know what I saw! And I saw her stealing his voice!"

"She's as bad as him," Val hissed. "Someone shut her up!"

"I agree with Rose!" Dee Dee shouted.

"I think you should be quiet, Dee," Hobbes said calmly.

"Well I'm only saying—"

"And that's an order!" Hobbes shouted at her. "You're making a fool of yourself, pretending you're an expert in mechanics and hydraulics, when I can tell you, you are nothing more than average at best! Now shut up!"

"That's how he does it," Sky spoke.

"That's-how-he-does-it," the Doctor copied her.

"He makes you fight."

"He-makes-you-fight."

"Creeps into your head—"

"Creeps-into-your-head."

"—and whispers."

"And-whispers."

"Listen."

"Listen."

"Just listen!"

"Just-listen."

"That's him!"

"That's-him."

"_Inside_."

"Inside."

"Shut him up, shut him up!" Val chanted.

"Throw him out!" Biff roared.

"No!" Rose shouted at them. "You can't!"

"Get him out of my head!" Val screamed.

"Yeah, we should throw him out!" Biff was nodding.  
"Don't just talk about it, just," Val stammered and grabbed her head. "You're useless! Do something!"

"I will!" Biff spat. "You watch me! I'm gonna throw him out!"

"Yes!" Sky said.

"Yes," the Doctor's voice was strained. Biff started to walk over to him and Rose jumped up and pulled him back.

"Don't touch him!" she shouted. "Don't you dare hurt him!"

"Throw him out!" Sky hissed.

"Throw-him-out," the Doctor replied.

"No!" Rose cried.

"Someone hold her back!" Biff shook Rose off. "Val, Jethro, get her off of me!"

"Get rid of him!" Sky screeched as Val grabbed Rose and held her arms behind her back.

"Get-rid-of-him!" the Doctor cried.

"_Now!_"

"Now!"

Biff reached down and grabbed the Doctor from behind, looping his arms under the Doctor's. He began dragging the Doctor toward the door, grunting in pain. Fear was in the Doctor eyes as he was helpless to defend himself.

"Don't!" Rose cried, struggling against Val's grip.

"It'll be you next!" Val hissed at her. "Jethro, help me with her!"

"Let me go!" Rose screamed. "Doctor!"

"I don't think we should do this!" the hostess said.

"It was your idea!" Biff grunted hauling the Doctor down the aisle. "Professor! help me!"

"Let him go!" Rose cried. "Leave him alone! _Please!_"

"I can't, I'm not—" Hobbes began.

"What sort of a man are you?" Biff roared. "Come on!"

"NO!" Rose voice cracked. "Stop it! Doctor!"

"Throw him out!" Val said.

"You can't! _Please!_ He's my friend!"

"Come on!" Biff said again.

"No!"

"Just do it!" Val struggled with Rose. "Throw him out!"

As Biff dragged the Doctor forward, the Doctor's trainer snagged on one of the seats, causing them to stop. Rose wriggled in Val's grasp, letting out a cry when Val dug her nails into her.

"Professor, help me!" Biff huffed. "Grab hold of him! Not like that! Are you stupid?!"

"Cast him out," Sky hissed.

"Cast-him-out," the Doctor was forced to speak.

"Into the sun."

"Into-the-sun."

"I want him out!" Val called out, "Jethro, come on!"

"No! Please!" Rose screamed. "Let him go! Doctor! Please! Let him go!"

"And the night," Sky said softly.

"And-the-night," the Doctor's eyes were haunted.

"Help me!" Val said. "Get him out!"

"Let me go!" Tears were streaming down Rose's face as she struggled against Val's hold on her. "Please! Leave the Doctor alone! Let him go! _DOCTOR!_"

"Get him out!" Val screamed. "Jethro! Stop standing there and help me!"

"No!" Jethro grabbed his head.

"Come on!" Biff yelled at his son. "Don't just stand there! Do as I say!"

Jethro shook his head, backing away. Hobbes had finally freed the Doctor from the chair and was beginning to help Biff drag him away.

"Get him out!" Val shouted again.

"Do it," Sky narrowed her eyes.

"Do-it."

"_NO!_" Rose cried. "You can't! Let him go!"

"Do it now!" Sky laughed.

"Do-it-now!" the Doctor grunted.

"Faster!"

"Faster."

"Just do it!" Val screeched.

"That's an order!" Biff screamed at Jethro. The boy finally broke down, and knelt to help his father.

"No, Jethro!" Rose yelled. "Don't! Let him—"

"That's the way!" Sky cut her off.

"That's-the-way," the Doctor repeated.

"You can do it!"

"You-can-do-it."

"Molto bene!"

"Molto-bene!"

Biff and Hobbes dragged the Doctor closer to the door, with Rose screaming out her friend's name. The hostess eyes widened and she looked to Sky. The woman was grinning wickedly, gazing at the Doctor with cold eyes.

"Throw him out!" Val was shouting. "Get him out!"

"Doctor!" Rose screamed trying to pull away. "Let go of me! Can't you hear him?! She's taken his voice!"

"Allons-y!" Sky hissed.

"Allons-y," the Doctor's gaze flicked to Rose. Tears were brimming in his eyes, and Rose cried out. Each pull dragged the Doctor closer to the door, and closer to his death. Val was still screaming at her family and Hobbes, while Dee Dee stood back and closed her eyes, unable to watch.

"It's his voice!" the hostess cried. "She's taken his voice!"

"The starlight waits," Sky called out.

"The-starlight-waits."

"The emptiness."

"The-empiness."

"Get him out!" Val yelled again.

"No!" Rose was going hoarse. "Please stop! Let him go! _Doctor!_"

"The Midnight sky!"

"The-Midnight-sky," the Doctor copied Sky.

"It's her," the hostess whispered.

"Get him out!" Biff yelled.

"_No!_" Rose sobbed.

"Throw him out!" Val tightened her grip on Rose.

"She's taken his voice!" the hostess shouted, and moving quickly, grabbed Sky and pushed her to the other door. She slammed her hand on the button and the door opened. The rest of the crew screamed as the bright light filled the cabin. Sky was screaming, and the Doctor copied her.

"One, two, three, four, five, six!" the hostess counted. The pressure wall released, and she and Sky were sucked out of the car, flying away with screams into the Midnight sun. The door gave a screech and sealed itself, trapping the two outside. The Doctor was released and he collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily.

"It's gone. It's gone," he said, and repeated over and over again. "It's gone, it's gone, it's gone, it's gone."

The Doctor rolled over on his back and caught his breath.

"It's gone. It's gone."

He closed his eyes and continued whispering, "It's gone, it's gone, it's gone. It's gone, it's gone, it's gone."

The Doctor pushed himself up painfully into a sitting position from the floor, leaning against one of the chairs. Rose pulled free of Val's grasp and ran over to him. Tears still falling from her eyes, she threw herself over him, gripping him around his neck. The Doctor returned her embrace, hugging her close to him. Rose sobbed quietly in his arms, and he squeezed her tightly.

The remaining passengers sank to the floor, breathing heavily and trying to put together what had just happened. Jethro covered his face with his arms, Biff stared at the floor, and Hobbes grabbed his head, horrified at what they had almost accomplished.

"I said it was her," Val said to them all. The Doctor raised his head slightly and looked at her. Hard anger and pain were in his eyes as he glared at her. Val lowered her gaze shamefully.

The Doctor's breathing was slowly returning to normal and he looked away. Turning back to Rose, he squeezed his eyes shut, hiding his face in her hair.

**-DW-**

Twenty minutes later, the rescue truck arrived.

"Repeat," the intercom said. "Crusader 50 rescue vehicle coming alongside in three minutes. Door seals set to automatic. Prepare for boarding. Repeat, prepare for boarding."

The crew was silent, all sitting a distance from one another. Only Rose sat near the Doctor, leaning against him as he held her hand.

"The hostess," the Doctor broke the silence. "What was her name?"

The passengers looked at one another and shook their heads. No one had bothered to ask.

"I don't know," Hobbes whispered, looking up from his hands. The cabin fell silent again. Closing his eyes, the Doctor leaned his head against Rose's, needing the small comfort only she could give.

* * *

**A/N: One more chapter after this! Hope you've all enjoyed it, and as always, comments on how I'm doing are much appreciated :)**


	6. Recollection

Rose walked down the TARDIS halls and paused at a small door. Raising her hand, she knocked softly on it twice. No voice called out, but as an answer, the door slid back. Rose walked inside and looked around.

The study was one of Rose's favorite rooms. It was painted a deep red, with dark green furniture and brown tables spread out on the floor. Book cases, filled with so many stories, lined the walls and at the end of the small room was a burning hearth. A small couch lay facing the fire, and Rose saw the hunched form of the Doctor sitting on it.

The Doctor sat staring into the fire, his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. The fire danced in his eyes, casting shadows on his face. Rose made her was over to him, cautiously, and sat down beside him.

"Doctor?" she asked softly. "Are you alright?"

The Doctor blinked and slowly turned his head to her. He raised his eyebrows and leaned back against the couch.

"Rose? Sorry, I didn't hear you come in," he rubbed the back of his neck. "You haven't been here for long, have you?"

"No," Rose smiled. "I just popped in."

"Oh, okay," he said and turned back to the fire. Rose watched his face, trying to pick out his emotion. For the first time in a very long while, he looked tired. His eyes were heavy lidded and each blink was slow.

"What do you think it was?" Rose said, guessing what was on his mind.

"No idea," the Doctor sighed looking back over at her.

"Do you think it's still out there?"

The Doctor's gaze flicked away and he said nothing.

"Well it's good you told them," Rose looked at the fire. "Them lot."

"Yeah, they can build a Leisure Palace somewhere else," the Doctor said in a cold tone. "Let this planet keep on turning around an Xtonic star, in silence."

"What," Rose began. "How was—what did it feel like? When she had taken your voice, did it, did you…?"

Rose trailed off and looked to the Doctor as he brought his hands up, rubbing his temples and covering his face.

"I'm sorry," Rose said. "I shouldn't have—"

"No, no," the Doctor whispered. "It's alright."

He took a deep breath and Rose saw that he was shaking slightly.

"It felt," the Doctor paused. "It felt cold, and alone. Like, like an echo. I felt frozen in time, and I was frozen. All I could do was sit there, watching and repeating, not feeling anything or hearing anyone. All I heard was her, in my head, taking my words. It-it… it hurt. I guess that's what I'm trying to say."

The Doctor buried his face in his palms, taking deep breaths. Rose was silent, remembering what had happened on that car, only hours ago. She wanted to say something to comfort him, but couldn't get anything out before he spoke again.

"Rose," the Doctor's voice was barely above a whisper. "Could you… I mean, you don't have to, but… can you stay with me tonight?" He raised his head but didn't look directly at her. "I just… I don't want to be alone."

The Doctor looked at her fully now. Tears were shining faintly in his eyes and he looked so scared. Alone.

"Of course I can," Rose murmured and gave him a small smile. He returned her smile faintly before reaching out so he could wrap his arms around her middle, his head nestled in the crook of her neck. Rose held him close, rubbing small circles on his back as she rested her chin atop his head.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," she said quietly. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop them. It's all my fault. I didn't stop them from taking you… I'm so sorry."

The Doctor was silent and Rose squeezed her eyes shut, holding back new tears. Then he pulled away partly and whispered, "There is _nothing _for you to apologize about. It's not your fault, okay? Rose, look at me. I'm fine, see? Everything is alright now."

Rose looked up into his tired face and he gave her a gentle smile. Leaning forward he pressed his lips to her cheek for a few moments before hugging her close to him once more.

"It's alright," he repeated, leaning back and gently pulling her with him against the couch. "We're safe now. That's all that matters."

Rose rested her head against his chest as they lay together on the sofa. The rhythmic dual heartbeats of the Time Lord played softly in her ear and she allowed herself a faint smile.

The Doctor kissed her head softly a few times, nuzzling her hair with his nose and cuddling her gently. Before them the fire glowed, the flames dancing and curling as if blown by an invisible wind.

"We'll always be okay, you and I," Rose murmured. "Won't we?"

"Always," the Doctor reassured her softly. Something nagged him at the back of his mind, something he knew he should be concerned about. A storm was coming; he could feel it brewing in the future. But the Doctor pushed the thought away. He wasn't going to worry about that now. Right now, all he needed was Rose, to have her close to him.

"We'll always be okay," he whispered.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading and for the comments! _Human Nature _ is up next is last episode of this series! I hope you've all enjoyed it!**


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